Kirkby Train Crash.

[Beeyar Wunby]

In their preliminary investigation, the RAIB said that the train approached the station at 42 mph before the driver made an emergency brake application.

Phillip Hollis, from Liverpool, has been charged with endangering safety of people on the railway

Hmm. Well if he's being charged that would suggest that he was well outside the 'acceptable mistake' range, and either didn't comply with driving policy, or else did something he shouldn't have.

And telling us that he approached the station at 42 mph is meaningless if we don't know the context.
For example - It was normal to approach the stops at Kings Cross at 125 mph - provided that you complied with the all the reductions in Permissive Speeds before you got there.

Doubtless we'll learn more in time.

Cheers, John

[TRP]

Originally Posted by Beeyar Wunby

Hmm. Well if he's being charged that would suggest that he was well outside the 'acceptable mistake' range, and either didn't comply with driving policy, or else did something he shouldn't have.

Cheers, John

It appears that the driver was using his phone as the train approached the station & he has now been convicted of endangering the safety of the passengers. He will be sentenced at a later date & had already been dismissed by Mersey Rail.

https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2022/02...-at-40mph.html

Tony

[Beeyar Wunby]

Originally Posted by TRP

It appears that the driver was using his phone as the train approached the station...

Thanks Tony.

I've seen several 'situations' in the past caused by drivers using phones, and that was what I'd guessed happened here but didn't want to say before it was in the public domain.

In fact ASLEF warned its members several years ago that it could not defend them if they had an accident or incident whilst using a mobile phone on the move. They even ran a campaign to remind drivers not to use their phones in cabs. There's a picture below showing the little badge which came with the pack

The Operating Company and/or Police are entitled to obtain a driver's mobile phone records following a rail accident, so there's no getting out of it.

And it's right there in the Rulebook (Section 5.2) that you must not use any communication device if it could distract you whilst driving. This includes not answering the signaller on the Cab Radio if they call you at a critical time (which they shouldn't do - but stuff happens).

In fact many Train Operating Companies have a policy that using a personal phone on the move is automatically a dismissible offence (the only one there is AFAIAA).

It's just pure luck that no one was seriously injured or killed.

John

[TRP]

The Mersey Rail driver, Phillip Holis, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for 2 years.

https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2022/03...sentenced.html

Tony